Apparatus for packing articles on a standard



Feb. 24, 1953 H. J. BARNHARD 2,629,530

APPARATUS FOR PACKING ARTICLES ON A STANDARD Filed Feb. 16, 1952 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I A\ INVENTOR.

Harold I Bernhard BY (4/. 1L m M ATTORNEY Feb. 24, 1953 H. J. BARNHARD APPARATUS FOR PACKING ARTICLES ON A STANDARD Filed Feb. 16, 1952 3 Sh'eets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

l lwn I d m mw r, 0 Bl j AI, w. 0 my Y B ATTORNEY Feb. 24, 1953 H. J. BARNHARD 2,629,530

APPARATUS FOR PACKING ARTICLES ON A STANDARD Filed Feb. 16, 1952 3 SheetsSheet 5 INVENTOR. Harold J. Bernhard ATTORHEY Patented Feb. 24, 1953 UNITED OFFICE This invention" relates to an apparatus aiid a' method for packing articles on a standardfhaving spines thereon adapted'to receive such ar tieles. 7 I

The packing of olives and other articles on-a standard to 'effcta mes ing =appearance and to facilitate rem cv-al'of such articles-When they. are packed in jars, is a difficult"andtiine-consurri ing operation'generallj'r perforfiiedb'yhand with out the aid of'mechanicaldevices Thisiin-vention provides an apparatus forend a methodor placing olives and other articles about a plastic standard ha'vi'ng' spines thereon adapted to re-- ceive said foodstuff.

It is an object of this inyention to pro ide-an apparatus for rapid packing of; foodstuifis upon; an upright standard having spines thereon, said: standard being adapted forinsertion intoa glass Jar.

It is also an object of this invention toprojyide a method for rapidly packing. "foodstuffs difiicult to pack in glass jars. v

It is a further object of thisini 'ention topro vide an inexpensiveapparatus'for facilitating a method of rapidly packing articles on' stand'aids.

These and other "objects 'will become apparent on reading the followin'di'sclosuref read inbon' junction with theaeeompa'riy'ing' drawings in" which:

Fig. l is atop piaiiview'paiuybiokifatasi merit taken on line 1-1 ofFig'..3;l A

Fig. 8 is atop 'plaifyietifoftheirightangled bell crank lever arm taken "on." line 8 -8 of Fig '7, and

Fig. 3 'and' showing. the -mthodfo insertiona foot of a standard 'to'sure it in placeon the rotatory element. p H I Referring to the drawings andmore particularly to Figs; 1'an'd2; a fiat d'isc III' is mounted 55 2 to" an axle ll for" rotational movement in a counter-clockwise rriz'i'nn'er as shown in Fig; 1. The 'pieriphery ofthe'di'sc lflis supported on rollere lrwn ch" are "journaled ifi'vertical supports I32 A"plurality of uprighttub'ular supports 14' can?? a plurality of radiallyf'disposed bars I 5' to which the vertical support's lfi 'are attached at the eiti'eifie radial distance frorri the axis ll. AhgIe bars' lease secured to" the radiafhars l5 byiconveiitionaimeans su'cfias' Welding to providea supporting surface fbfan'annular arm rest apron H. The apron IT is provided with a trb'iign' l8 slopirig f downwSicily to an Outlet tube i9:WH1by a.fiy-Hdifid' in'said'trcugh IB fiOWS by g'r'avity fifito' tube"l9; The tube 91eadS aremeta-Breanne waste tan-1i Z U WhiCh may beplaced oi1 astfuctural support 2'! made of "angle iron;-

A'1fiot6f22"is corinectedto 'a speedreducer 23 and is controlled by a controliwheel '24 through IfifiZOHtaIaXIeZW whereby a desired rotational SDfd'DfaXl I l and 0f disc I is obtainable. Thepeh'trallir disposedv'ertioal supports [4 have aiilgl' ilO'I'I'S ZE" scfii'dwheretb, to which is'seciirda platform 21, providing a'base support for th'speed reducer 2 3 I V A 'tepf late 28 1s" Scur'dftdth e centrally disposed vertical supports" I la'nd" has an' aperture" therein provi in -"a journal surface for axle I I. COTIpI 29 previued'a's Vt e11 as anannu lai footre ta c.

Kmfiraht ofa ertures 'arecirculany disposed neartheoutei circumference of nut disc ortable I0," through each of which is passed a" partly threaded "16d'3|f Intermediate the disc HT'and top ofbea'i'in g blocli 323s a support collar orca rrier 3 4' having. perpendicular cross recess therein" adapted" to recei've the four perpendicu- The lar'ercssgieet 35 of standard'support 36. support 36 h'as onebf its feet 35'inserted beneath a clamping" plate "37 which is screwed 'or other- WisesecuredtdcoHai"3[(FiQQ) CariierfM has an enlarged circular fiat plate section" 38,"-frorriwliich an' integral projection 'or cbllarq 'oflssfdiarrietr depends. Plate 38 hiasanapitur trieiei'nj for lock assess, to'which is firmli'secureda top'deverplate 3] and a bottom 1ei7ef"p1ate"'42.' Thebottorr'i' lever plate if has a spring latch 43 secured thereto; A second spring latch' 44 'is' s e'cuid to' theundersurface of collar tiipffpla'te 5318:, and a? torsionalspring 45 is secured t6 'spririglatches H V and 44:" A stop t 6 is secured to theu'iiaeisiirisee" of plate 38 for arresting'the simultaneous forward movement of top lever plate 4| and of bottom lever plate 42 in locked position.

A circular leaf spring, having a plurality of leaf springs 41, pulls rod 3| downward so that the bottom of projection 39 frictionally engages the top surface disc Hi. The leaf springs 41 are held in place by threaded nut 49 co-acting with lock nut 50.

Secured to bottom of rod 3| by key is a bell crank 52 (Fig. 8) having lever arms 53 and 54. Secured to lever arm 53 by means of bolt 55 is a long lever roller 56, and secured to lever arm 54 by means of bolt 51 is a short lever roller 58 (shown in phantom in Fig. 6).

In operating applicants machine olives are poured onto the outer annular surface of disc In, which is separated from the inner surface of disc I0 and the circle of apertures therein by a perpendicular circular wall 59. Attached adjacent the inner circular are a plurality of obliquely disposed pusher plates 60 adapted to push the olives close to wall 59 (Figs. 1 and 2), said pusher plates being secured in place at a desired angle by wing nut 6| or other conventional means.

A plurality of fingers 62 are bolted to wall 59 adjacent each rotational packing unit with its plastic support 36 (Fig. 1). This counter-clockwise rotation of the collar 34, produced by long roller 56 of lever arm 54 rubbing against sta- Continued counter-clockwise rotation of disc 6 causes long roller 56 of lever arm 53 to engage stationary cam 65 (Fig. 1) causing the collar 34 with its standard 36 to rotate through an angle allowing spring 45 to pull lever plate 4|, into a closed or locked position, over foot 35 of the plastic standard or olive tree 36. In order to prevent toppling over of a loaded or packed olive standard or tree, when in open position, one of the feet 35 is inserted beneath clamping plate 31.

Fig. 3 shows the olive tree or standard 36 in locked position with top lever arm 4| over one of the feet 35. In this position of hell crank 52 one set of the perpendicularly disposed arms is substantially parallel to wall 59 and to an operator seated therebefore, thus enabling the operator to pack olives onto the tree limbs or spines 36cc from both sides using both hands.

To facilitate packing of olives onto the remaining set of limbs or spines 361/ of the tree, which set is located at 90 to the packed set 363:, it is necessary to rotate the tree 90. This rotation is accomplished by having the short roller 58 engage cam 63 so that continued rotation of disc It), causes the plastic standard or tree to rotate 90, thereby presenting the unpacked limbs 36y parallel to wall 59 and an operator seated at this station. The second set of limbs or spines 36y is now easily packed from both sides by an operator using both hands. The carrier 34 therefore reciprocates back and forth through an angle of about 135.

It is thus clear that a plastic standard or tree loaded with olives, is removed by an operator from plate 38, after the lock 4| has been actuated into an open position by bell crank 52 working in coaction with finger 62. A fresh or new standard 36 is inserted under the plate 31 preferably by the same operator at this open station. Further rotation of the disc causes an operative lever arm of the bell crank to rub against an appropriate stationary cam surface causing one set of limbs of the tree to be presented to another packer at another or second station. Further rotation of the disc I0 causes the other arm of the bell crank to rub up against another stationary cam, thereby rotating the tree through an arc of and thus presenting the second set of limbs ready to be packed. Still further rotation of the disc It) brings the loaded tree back to cam 64 where the lock 4| is again opened, and the cycle described above is ready to be repeated.

More than three operators may be seated about the apron I1. Moreover, it is within the scope of this invention that a large disc It may be so operated as to have more than one complete packing assembly on its periphery. Thus, for example, two or more loading and unloading stations may be located about a large disc with intermediate packing stations between each unloading station.

In a modification of this invention, leaf spring 41, which holds collar 34 in position, can be replaced by a helical spring on rod 3|, and simultaneously therewith the cams 63, 64 and 65 may be interconnected to form one continuous cam.

Other modifications will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art after reading this disclosure, but these modifications are intended to be embraced by the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

l. A device for packing edibles on a standard comprising a rotatable table having a plurality of circumferentially disposed apertures, a tubular carrier having a depending collar disposed over each of said table apertures and in frictional engagement with said table, a dished leaf spring having a centrally positioned opening disposed beneath said apertures of said table, a rotatable rod disposed in and secured to said carrier and traversing said aperture of said table and the opening of said spring, means for adjusting the tension of said spring against said table, and means for rotating reciprocally said rod, whereby packing of edibles on said standard is facilitated.

2. An apparatus adapted to rotatably support a pluralty of standards comprising a frame, a disc rotatably mounted on said frame and having a plurality of apertures disposed adjacent the disc edge, a rod disposed in each of said apertures, a carrier disposed on the top of said rod and secured thereto having grooves therein forming a seat for said standard and having a collar in frictional engagement with said disc, a multiple leaf spring having an aperture therein disposed on said rod beneath said disc and adapted to effect adjustable frictional engagement between the collar of said carrier and said disc, a bell crank fixed to said rod beneath said leaf spring and adapted to reciprocate said rod, and a plurality of stationary cams secured to said frame beneath said disc and adapted to engage said cranks, whereby rotation of said disc effects reciprocal rotation of said carriers.

3. A device for packing pierceable edibles upon plastic trees or standards having pointed limbs thereon comprising a frame, a rotatable table mounted on said frame having a circumferentially disposed wall in spaced relation to the periphcry of said table and having a plurality of apertures interiorly and circumferentially disposed adjacent to said wall, means for rotating said table, an annular wall secured to said frame and adjacent the periphery of said table for keeping said edibles from falling off said table, a plurality of stationary cams disposed beneath said table and secured to said frame, a lurality of rotatable carriers mounted on rotatable rods disposed in said peripheral apertures of said table each having a grooved seat adapted to receive one of said standards and further having a collar in frictional engagement with said table, and rotatable means disposed on said carrier for locking said standard in said seat.

4. A device for packing pierceable edibles upon plastic trees or standards having pointed limbs thereon comprising a frame, a rotatable table mounted on said frame having a circumferentially disposed wall in spaced relation to the periphery of said table and having a plurality of apertures interiorly and circumferentially disposed adjacent to said wall, means for rotating said table, an annular wall secured to said frame and adjacent the periphery of said table for keeping said edibles from falling off said table,

6 a plurality of stationary cams disposed beneath said table and secured to said frame, a plurality of rotatable carriers mounted on rotatable rods disposed in said peripheral apertures of said table each having a grooved seat adapted to receive one of said standards and further having a collar in frictional engagement with said table, a locking mechanism disposed in said carrier adapted to look a seated standard and comprising a rotatable lock-rod journaled in said carrier with a top and bottom plate fixed to said lock-rod, tension means secured to said bottom plate and the carrier collar and adapted to maintain said top plate in locked position, and means disposed in said circumferentially disposed wall adapted to motivate said bottom plate to unlock said top plate.

HAROLD J. BARNHARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,765,419 Gross June 24, 1930 1,833,417 Drake Nov. 24, 1931 2,261,548 Gridley Nov. 4, 1941 

